The Era of Heroes
by manthony2691
Summary: After over a hundred years of battle between warring states, Japan has entered a new era we call today the Edo Period. The land of the rising sun would experience a period of stability and prosperity, but underneath the surface lies a world of magic and strife. A new war is brewing, one that'll determine the fate of humanity, it all began with the daughter of a peasant farmer
1. Chapter 1

**The Chronicles of Jukai and the Heroes of the Divine War.**

**Preface**

_It is here that I, Uesato Hinata of Shikoku, give you the collective stories and writings during my travels and work in the Divine War. The purpose of which is preserving the memories and honoring those unknown heroes who sacrifice everything to save not just all of Japan, but the world of the Shinju. Among these stories of which we'll explore will be of the state of affairs across the lands after centuries of conflict, the actions of the daughter of a line of samurai, the rise and fall of The Flower Alliance and memoirs that remind us these vanquished heroes often were no older than fifteen years of age._

_\- Hinata Uesata, The Chronicles, completed in 1700 _

* * *

**Volume I**

**Chapter 1: Long Long Ago, in a certain place...**

The waving of the gentle green treeline far above showed today's weather to be calm and serene, the rising sun in the distance indicated the beginning of the day was here, she didn't mind the early waking if it brought such a view like this every day. She heard the birds sing above, watching as the sun fully revealed itself, with a sigh she hiked up the small hill of trees and over it ran to the large village up ahead. The place her family and many others called home for decades.

Sneaking through a small, hardly noticeable pathway that conveniently brought her close to the main square of the village, she energetically snuck herself through a thin treeline just large enough for her to fit through. The sunlight sneaking past the branches above till finally, she got herself back to civilization with groups from other families already walking up and down the path. Not wanting to bother she runs her way quickly towards home as those who her family frequently works with going about their morning carrying tools, wagons, and baskets filled with rice or whatever other material to help cultivate their own fields. Her village was an older one, beginning at the bottom of the mountain, her grandfather told stories of how it's been that way even for his father but since she was born has spread outward to the fields, something to do with the Suwa Daimyo Tadatsune making new rice fields by moving a nearby water stream.

As she approached her family's farm she saw a bit further ahead new plots of family homes with their own farms, they were new, but unlike some others in the village, she was happy to see new people arrive, maybe even find someone to share the view with.

"Utano! Are you out there!?"

"Coming mother!" the young girl responded as she ran and slide open the entrance of their well-sized home.

Carrying her sandals as she approached her mother, Utano respectfully stood by as she looked at the back of her mother's green hair as she organizes their belongings. "Utano, you shouldn't keep leaving here so early," her mother told her in a firm but fair kind of approach, "Your father is already outside working and we need you fully awake and ready to take the shipment. "

"Yeah, okay," Utano said at the ready as she readied herself and walked out to the paddies field that was the source of their livelihood. As she trudged her way through, she saw the seeds at this portion was growing quite nicely, she knew they could and saw it as perhaps a sign thing going better this season. The sudden groan up ahead caught Utano's attention as she ran faster to her father rubbing his back, yet still patting his daughter in the head as a chuckle escaped him.

"I'm sorry for being late, I was caught up by-" Utano tried to explain but was stopped when her father pointed over to the horned beast standing by.

"It's alright, argh, get the buffalo and start plowing the paddies over there. The bag of seeds are right at the home, got that Utano?"

"Absolutely! But you gonna be alright? I haven't heard you make a sound like that before."

"Hopefully by tomorrow, we'll get the means to stop it from getting any worse, now go she's waiting for ya!" her father said as he got back to cleaning this paddie, taking a deep breath as he bent his back again.

Utano meanwhile jogged her way to Ota, a name her mother told her not to give but looking at its adorable eyes made it too late for her to get attached to Ota. Grazing her hand over Ota's fur, she readied the plow and slings over the bag over her shoulder, "Another busy day for us again, do you know what father means by making things suddenly easier?"

As expected, the buffalo simply huffed which Utano returned by grabbing some of her food and feeding Ota, "Yeah, he's been talking about just about everybody but me, his own daughter no less! Oh, you think maybe we'll get new food to plant!? Man what a prospect, not gonna happen though if we don't start, now let go!" Utano had her supplies ready as she began walking, but Ota was still at her stand, the girl raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a small wipe, "Now Ota, we gotta get these new seeds ready, please?"

The buffalo huffed again with Utano rolling her eyes, smiling back, "Okay, another fist full of food, how about that?" With that Ota immediately began following her as she laughed at her friend's antics, the whip was always for show when her parents are around, and something Utano uses mostly to do neat tricks with. As Ota began doing her work, Utano was right behind her finishing the job with each seed she planted before moving on to the weeding.

This was Utano's and her families routine long before she was born, over the years of doing this her carefree desire at this moment like many others only wished they get to experiment with more exotic vegetables out there to make their meals, even more, filling and delicious than they already are. If what her father is saying really is a good as he says then that only eases the burden on them, she personally believes that if she had the ability too, she instead take on the whole responsibility by herself.

She'll do anything to keep this village productive, safe, and most of all, happy in this new era of peace.

* * *

A/N: So despite this seemingly coming out of nowhere, this is actually a concept I've been brainstorming while plotting out the main storyline. While all of that is still very much the focus, this idea and sudden urge to write a time before the events of Reformation, before PMMM or any of the other stuff I'll make, to Edo Period Japan but now with Magical girls made me want to at least present a snippet of what I have in mind.

This format too of lost records recording what magical girls did long before now just being discovered is something I really love and wish is done more. As some of the characters presented here show, this is taking the NoWaYu characters and doing the hundreds of years gap YuYuYu has but now recontextualized in this timeline to mean going back into the early years of the Edo era (Like the farmer Utano now a humble peasant farmer, classic hero beginnings) and exploring the lore aspect of this Crossover/Fusion series. Don't expect it to connect much with the main events happening, this is essentially a lost legend made to explore what these characters have done in this series and just making the history here richer.

Also, you won't believe how much rice farming I had to research just for this one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch.2: A Day in the life of a Suwa Villager**

The dirt road running through the village sat silent aside from one young wanderer walking past the rows of lanterns illuminating the path, the moon high above Utano as she walked up to a household no bigger than her family's. Chewing on a fresh walnut she gathered from her early morning walks, she went up to the door that suddenly slides open to show an older, bearded man.

"Why is it that I always speak to you boy, doesn't your father have enough respect to come over himself to speak?" he complained in a slightly scratchy voice.

"I assure you, my father holds high respect to anyone he talks to, he just so happens to be busy having tea with someone at the moment. Also, I'm a girl, Mr. Hatano."

"From the way you look and act you should be a boy, and stop with the chewing, would you! Could barely hear a word your saying." the old man complained as Utano spat out a piece of the walnut. "I'm guessing he wishes to share tomorrow's plans with me, yes?"

"Correct Mr. Hatano, he just wants to confirm the purchases you'll be making as well as make sure others of each family will be able to provide the necessary field for the farms while we're gone."

The old man squinted at the young girl, scoffing as he said, "I may be on the older side, but you tell your father I am fully aware what I'm paying for and that my family field hands will get the job done and then some. There's a reason my surplus is the largest of the five of us, anything else to share, boy?"

Utano thought for a moment but shook her head, without even a goodbye the old man closed the wooden door on her. She didn't mind much, dealing with him for most of her life made such comments something she gotten used to by now. With him being the last of their travel buddies, Utano turned her eyes down the lower path where her home was when an idea popped in her head, she turned to the highest point of their village and saw the most extensive home has its lanterns lit up. Taking another bite of her stash of walnuts, she ran up towards the large house for a quick visit.

Her sandals digging into the light mud littering the road, hardly slowing her down her ascent till stopping a few feet away, knowing getting any closer would get her in big trouble. She casually then snuck her way to the side and took a pathway only she knew. A small but helpful bundle of bamboo trees made it hard for anyone but her to sneak through, it was easy to get lost at this darker area, but it also provides excellent cover for her to go around towards the side of the large home. Climbing up a little up ahead and through a small stream brought her to the perfect view of a closed but lit up window several feet above her. Taking a pebble from the stream she aimed and threw it at the surrounding wooden boards, she knew who was up there and kept throwing rock after rock till she heard someone on the other side.

A big smile was on her face as a girl with lengthy brown hair running down her left shoulder looked out the window and shook her head at who she's seeing. "Utanon, I thought we agreed this way of meeting is too dangerous, what if my parents were walking by?"

"Then I'll blend into the night, like a shadow..." Utano said dramatically as she covered half her face behind her dark sleeves, watching Mito then laugh at her silly antics made trips like these worth the risk.

"So, came her to show me something or you just wanted some small talk?"

"I wish we can share a few more words, but I gotta return home soon; however, I did want to give you these." Utano took her statch and put it all in a little handmade bag before throwing it up to Mito. Opening it up she saw they were walnuts, something she never really had before. "Just wanted to wish you a peaceful night and made sure you're not going hungry."

Mito covered her face and looked away as her cheeks go a little red, Utano didn't notice though and smiled at her cute reaction. "You always know how to give the oddest gifts, will I see you tomorrow?" asked Mito.

"Its gonna have to be at night, I'll be out for most of tomorrow with father and his friends to the city. It's my first time too!"

"That sounds fun at least, my family hardly ever do that sort of thing."

"My father's lucky even to do this, I gonna absorb it all in so I'll never forget! I might even see what a castle is!"

Mito chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm then remembered something from her last trip."If you're really going, could you check out what's going on in the market? It'd be a good talking point for tomorrow."

Utano nodded and made sure to remember the request, but then something else popped in her head, something that would surprise her friend. With the promise made Utano bowed to her friend and ran back down the hidden trail, Mito looked longingly as she began munching on the snacks and realized they're harder than she thought.

**The Next Morning...**

The wagon creaked as the wood bent under the weight of more rice bags thrown onto by a large muscle man, two more including Mr. Hatano then pulled the cart up to Shiratori household. Their door slides open as Utano's father, wearing a straw hat, pulled out two large bags of rice with his daughter lumbering behind carrying one bag to the cart. "Heh, still one short as always Shiratori," Hatano proudly proclaimed, overlooking how his family is the largest out of the four of them.

"Highest accomplish you'll have in life, got the permit Mr. Asano?" asked the skinniest of the three who held up the document that took what felt like forever to acquire.

Utano dumped her bag onto the cart and got a pat on the back by the large man or as everyone calls him, Sanjo. Both of them then got the rope and tied down the several large bags and made sure there were no tears as every grain here was valuable. Then Utano's mother walked up to the door and looked at her daughter in the eye, "Good work young lady, now head out to the back and be sure to welcome your father's friends family coming later."

"Ahh, actually dear," Mr. Shiratori muttered as he got in front of his daughter, "I'm taking our daughter with us, she likes going out so I thought I'd take her to see the city at least once. The other's coming should still be more than enough." He wasn't like most other husbands in the village in terms of how his relationship is to his wife, the woman glared at the man then turned to Utano who shyly smiled back. She closed the door without uttering a word which in their house met Utano was free to go.

With a deep breath, Sanjo and Utano pulled up the wagon handle and pulled the heavy wagon down to the main gate of their village, the others hanged back till they approached the gate and saw local guards on standby. Not many villages had such protection, but Mr. Shiratori knew their village was the most lucrative and was worried of what they might say seeing his daughter, he took off his straw hat and took the permit, walking past Utano and putting the hat on her head that covered most of her face.

The girl looked and saw her father stay silent, following his example as their stuff was checked out. Utano held her head down with Sanjo beside her almost covering her from the guards till they were finally given the go-ahead. It wasn't until they were out of sight of the village that Utano relaxed and did her part of taking the rice to Suwa. The five walked down the dirt path mostly in silence, taking in the surrounding environment until they found the stone path. "This pathway isn't like anything else Utano," the father explained as the wooden wheels clattered against the stone rubble. "I only ever walked down here a few times, mostly with my father, he told me once the conflict was finally over they modified these roads to travel all over the land for people to go anywhere and everywhere."

"Really, do you know where we lie on this road?" Utano asked with great curiosity. "From what I heard, we're the connecting point of two of these roads. If one really wanted to and had the supplies, you could walk from here to either Kyoto or Edo."

"Woah...what are those places?"

"Care to explain, Mr. Asano?" Her father asked as he ran ahead to a divide in the road and made sure they're going the right direction.

Utano listened as Asano, a skinny but young man, began to explain. "Well here's a little something I don't share much, my grandfather saw the end of the fighting with his own eyes and had an opportunity pop up. He and many of my relatives lived in a farm close to Edo and used this very road to travel until they found a place safe enough till he stumbled upon here. He told my father who told me of how that city was like years ago, how massive it was unlike anything else, now imagine that today where it's likely even bigger."

"E-even bigger!? Hmm...I don't know if I can imagine it. What made it so special?"

"It the place where the mighty shogun now resides, so there's that, it houses more people than a thousand villages could hold. As for Kyoto, it's where the heavenly emperor rules, surrounded by as many people as there are in Edo."

"W-wow! If I ever got the chance and know all of you will be alright, I love to check them out one day." Utano wished as her mind tries to comprehend how magnificent these faraway places were. Asano only chuckled at her naive optimism when they caught up with her father and saw as the tree line ended and they found Lake Suwa.

Utano moved from the cart and gazed at the large, serene lake. The morning atmosphere and low hanging sun adding to its beauty, over a mile away at the other end lie the town of Suwa. Her father walked up to her and pointed over to the town saying, "That's where we're going, should take us more or less an hour to get there. Unless you want to swim there." Utano eyes shined at the suggestion but then had her hat pulled down by her father, "The most enticing path isn't necessarily the right one for you, focus on the one that'll take you the furthest."

Utano saw her father walk back to the wagon and followed right behind them, the five peasants followed the path and walked around the large lake. The road was quiet with only locals occasional traveling just down the road. The anticipation of seeing something so different was exciting for Utano, after years of just exploring the surrounding forest and learning about flora and fauna, she always had a curious eye and was most excited to talk about with the whole village later.

This anticipation drove her to jump on top the wagon as they approached the city gates, the sound on the other side of these white and brown walls already filling her imagination. Her father and his friends passed through and already were met with the most massive crowd any of them have met, this was a castle town that was also the closest commercial center to the two main roads of the country, making it the central hub of the region and a grandiose display for rural people like Utano. Hundreds walked by in this road alone as the four adults began to converse on where to go while Utano took in every second of her stay here. Dozens of new faces, both old and young, along with other wagons and bags filled with stuff other than rice with some particularly looking shiny.

The four farmers would get occasionally lost from a simple wrong turn to hitting odd dead ends which were particularly funny to Utano as she barely held back her snickering. Eventually, they found the right path again as Utano crossed her first bridge over a small river coming straight from the lake, as they got deeper into the town, Utano saw a group of very differently dressed people from anyone else. Suddenly she felt the wagon pulled to the side and stop along with anyone in the way open up a path for five well-dressed men with long metal sticks wrapped around their waist, Utano saw her first samurai and looked at them like they were like any other person and was lucky not one of the men paid attention to her.

After this Utano fell off as her father pulled her down from the wagon, his look the most serious she seen him from the disrespect she displayed and the fear of one of them had a short fuse for such behavior. She went along his warning and walked beside him as they passed by the mighty castle, it's magnificence and imposing power hanging far above every other building as the Suwa Clan dominance was above all other living here. Utano didn't look away from the structure till Hatano announced to them they've reached the merchant district, which from they seemingly were selling everything. Her father and friends began untieing and taking thier own bags as they scout out the surrounding shops, Amano and Hintano searching for crafting materials and food for tonight's special occasion with Sanjo protecting the wagon and an intriguing looking shop, leaving Utano and Mr. Shiratori looking for a blacksmith.

Walking down a set of stone stairs till seeing smoke emitting from a door in what looks to be a warehouse, walking in and hearing the clanging of the metal pounded and refined showed they found their man. Utano placed down her bag as her father talked with the blacksmith when a sudden gust blew from the door behind them, barely catching a shadowy figure that piqued her curiosity. She slowly walked away and ran outside to see a figure all in black running with a bag with short black hair, Utano stared on till she's shoved aside by three city guards chasing after her and turning into the alleyway. She picked herself up in a slight daze but noticed a shiny object on the floor, picking it up to find it's a gold Ryo currency, to her it was a unique metal that she never saw or let alone touch before but dropped it when she heard someone land behind her.

Turning to see the same girl has somehow evaded those guards, her tall stature now noticeable to Utano and slightly intimidating which isn't helped by the glare those brown eyes are giving her. She stayed silent when the girl took out her bag and picked up the gold currency, putting it in with over a dozen more like it. Her eyes dart back at Utano when she suddenly took her straw hat and put it over her eyes and face before walking away, the realization of what's going on came to Utano who stomped her foot as she shouted, "Hey! You stole that when it clearly doesn't belong to you, now your just gonna steal from me, my father's hat!?"

The thief stopped and turned to her with a more scarier look, Utano heart stopped momentarily from the threating gaze but didn't flinch a muscle, the thief then took out something in her bag before throwing a shower of silver coins at Utano. She looked at the coin than at the thief in confusion when they girl in black suddenly said, "That should be worth half what one gold coin is, hide it from the authorities and use to buy a hundred hats for all I care."

"Using the money you stole is somehow better?" Utano questioned

The thief shook her head in disbelief of such virtues from a nobody peasant girl, "Kid there are things and people out there they don't give a damn about that moral nonsense. Unless you continue to live in some dunghill village for the rest of your life like everyone else, I suggest you wisen up to more practical ideas like me. That's how you'll survive, and that's how you'll move up in this world, take that advice above all else."

"Not at the expense of others or of morals. If surviving means ruining the livelihood of others, even if they're the enemy, I refuse to accept that cause they're people like you and me." Utano proclaimed but only earned an eye roll from the thief who turned her back and ran off, Utano sighed in frustration at losing her father's hat and now being stuck with stolen money.

As she walked back to the shop, Utano looked at the fistful of coins and felt conflicted on what to do with it, she knew the thief was right on one thing if those guards are still mad at having money stolen then simply returning it might bring more trouble not just to her but her father and friends too. Reluctantly she hid the coins in her simple kimono wear when her father suddenly found her, the question was immediately asked on where she went and what happened to her hat which Utano only half answered before her father dismissed it and took her back to the market.

She noticed all but a small bag of rice was left while he carried almost a dozen or so tools made by the blacksmith, the amount proofed too much when one tool and the remaining rice bag fell, and Utano had to pick it up. "That's actually for you," her father said, "A hoe tool specifically sized to suit you, with that, you could now do all sort of things. Better shape the soil, remove those damn weeds, clear the soil, and even harvest root vegetables, but that last one is a bit unlikely." He manner of speaking about this was quite casual as this was planned to better deal with the fields, but Utano looked at the tool like it was her own Katana, her very own symbol of her status and something she quickly declares to be her go-to tool and the first step to becoming something greater.

Utano was so absorbed by the new tool she almost walked past a peculiar stand, she saw what was displayed and smiled as she took out thier remaining rice to get a little something for a friend.

**Later that Night...**

The echo's of laughter from her home always was infectious to Utano despite not being apart of the celebration, the new tools and materials they bought with the surplus of rice saved over months was worth it, by the time the next harvest comes around they'll likely double thier production for more than half the village which will allow them to later get these tools for the rest by next year. Utano was eager to test this out by herself as soon as they got back and so far is in love with her new tool, so much that she excused herself from the celebration and tested her tool on the field. She never felt a tool so durable, and despite its weight, it was worth the result it brings, this excitement suddenly reminder of an important meeting that she almost forgot. She checked her house and saw her parents and thier friend's family inside and at the front of the house talking about thier travel, Utano sneaked around them to tell her own stories to a special friend.

Carrying her new tool, she ran to her secret path and was soon outside the village and ran to thier special spot. Running in the dark woods until she saw a light next to a pond, smiling at Mito who waited for her this whole time. "You made it, I thought you got caught up in the festivities," Mito said

"Sorry sorry, I got caught up using...this!"

"A...plowing tool?"

"Yeah!" Utano said ecstatically, "Just imagine what I could achieve with this, I'll probably get closer to realizing my ultimate dream!"

"Yeah, your dream of becoming..."

"The Farming Emporer!" they simultaneously said with Utano proudly shouting it while Mito was more hesitant, yet admired one thing about her dream.

"Well, it's nice to see you have a dream, that's something I gave up years ago."

"What?" Utano asked worriedly, "People always have some sort of dream, like something they're really good at or just like to do."

"But I don't have any of that, I'm not a good farmer like you or have any other talents, I'm just some kid whose parent's don't even pay attention too. Ironically if they did, they wouldn't let me be with you in the first place."

"Mito" Utano whispered, she wanted to respect from intruding on her friend's family life, but by how frequently this happens, it brings a great worry to her in how it affects her best friend. "I get that it's hard, but that's why I'm here with you now, I want to do stuff like this forever with you and along the way find some you'll enjoy doing."

Mito smiled at the kindness but looked down at her reflection in the quiet pond, "So I'll just be a burden then...something you have to drag around."

"That's not what I meant at all! I love everyone in our village, but out of everyone I care about you the most Mito. What I do for you is out of that love, besides I like being around you, your more fun than you give yourself credit for." Utano smiled as they sat closer to one another yet was oblivious to Mito blush at the wording behind this energetic girl's speech, worried she might notice she lied down and turned her gaze up to the night sky where the stars and moon shined above.

Utano didn't bother gazing at the heavens and instead kept her attention on Mito while laying next to her friend in thier surprisingly soft grassy spot. She then brought out something she picked along the way here, a small bag was pulled out and handed to Mito who caught the whiff of something quite different. "It's nuts with a side with berries, don't worry it not like last time these grapes are good."

Mito chuckled at the memory of Utano's sick day from that incident as she took some and tasted the delicious mix of a sweet berry with chewy freshly picked nuts. The two, now more relaxed and having enjoyed themselves with a snack, took in the peaceful moment of them in the woods. "You know the town I went to was great." Utano brought up while chewing on berries.

"Oh yeah, what caught you off guard more the people or the buildings?"

"Umm...both?"

"Okay, what was cooler, the grand castle of the Suwa Clan or the very lake named after them?"

"Mmm...both!"

"Hehe, you loved everything about it, didn't you?"

"Well yea-...well, except one thing..." Utano whispered as she remembered what else happened.

"What was it?" asked Mito.

"Well, I was with my father at a place where I got my new tool when I saw someone run past the door. I checked it out and found this girl stole something, these shiny slabs of metals."

"Shiny...y-you mean she stole gold coins!"

"You know them?" Utano asked

"Yeah, I overhear my father mention them once, saying they're more valuable than a whole bag worth of rice."

"No way! Then do you know how much this is?" Utano asked as she pulled out the silver coins, Mito immediately gasped but shut her mouth and made sure no one was around.

"Where did you get this!" she whispered

"From the thief girl, after she totally swiped my father's hat by the way. Now I'm stuck with her filthy stolen money."

"That...okay, Utano whatever you do with that, you must use it sparingly. Alright?"

"Psh, like I'm gonna use stolen money," she said as she put them away while grabbing something else. "I rather use my hard earn work to get you something like this." Mito was surprised at what she was seeing, Utano handed the gift to her hands, making it the first time Mito was holding a real book in her hands. " I remember when you talked about how your father had something like this once, you were curious what it was and I figure a place like a town would have something like that."

"Utano," Mito uttered as she felt her throat feel tight, but she kept her calm and opened it, immediately looking at and deciphering what these words meant. Being given such a gift warmed her heart as the two shared a hug when Mito began reading the first pages.

"So, what's it about?" Utano asked when Mito remembered Utano wasn't literate or knew how to write.

She laid down next to Utano and began to go by the first pages word by word, "Well it says, 'It was a cold the night honorable warrior, Motosada Hashimoto, died. Her wife weeping for days after when she remembered the day they met.'"

"That's a sad opening."

"It is, but something tells me that's not the point of the story. Want me to continue?"

"Yeah," Utano said as she closed her eyes to focus on listening to Mito's voice retelling this story. Out in the distance, a faint flute played by the surprisingly talented Sanjo filed the air with a tranquil feel that reminds Utano why she loves her home, hoping that life stays this way forever.

* * *

A/N: I like the simplicity behind these two characters and how they make a good pair, fits in how the setting is during a simpler time as well.

Also, I want to clarify that the state Utano's village is in is definitely more of the exception than the norm for this era, its this way strictly for the story and I recognized life wasn't nearly being this easy-going for most peasant/farmers. Thought I say it before anyone else and that I'm balancing real historical stuff while planting in material that'll help the tone and development of the story.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Shiratori felt a sharp pain in his head, whether it was the celebratory sake last night or the sounds of that buffalo he couldn't tell, but it didn't shake off the accidental hangover. His wife was already up as he entered the main room and looked out to the rice paddies. The wife handed him a morning bowl of food and water she boiled to help shake off his sluggishness when the man noticed one thing missing from outside, "Is Utano still sleeping?" he asked.

"Once everyone left I thought I heard her go to her room, is she with the beast outside?" she asks as her husband grabbed a quick bite before checking outside but found no signs of her, the look on her husbands face quickly worried her to look in her daughter's room but found no one. The two scoured the in's and out's of thier home and field but saw no sign of her, "S-she had to have gone out again, that girl's always running out when she's-"

"And she's smart enough to know when to come back," the father responded as he began to quickly pace out of the house towards the village center.

"Where are you going?"

"To ask the others to help, check the fields again and wait here in case she comes back," he said as he walked a bit faster to thier friends homes as Utano's mother ran deeper into the paddies as she tried telling herself this is all just an over-exaggeration, in trying to clear her head that field beast began roaring. She wanted to pay it no mind and focus on spotting her daughter, but the constant noise was pushing her to her wit ends, she goes back inside to find that whip to warn that beast when the earth below them began to shake violently.

**Ch.3: An Unexpected Return**

Mito sleep soundly in the surprisingly soft bed, there was a cool breeze above, but a warmth next to her kept that from being a bother, what was becoming bothersome however was a dreadful snore like sound. It couldn't be her she wondered which slowly pushed her to wake up as she opens her eyes to the morning sky, rubbing her eyes and noticing the book was still in her hands and she was ontop the grass. A slight feeling of worry came when she saw she fell asleep in her reading and stayed out all night, imagining what her parents may say but then sadly realized they probably wouldn't have even noticed, she closed her eyes again when she felt that warm feeling clinging onto her which was odd since the weather should be freezing and the only warm thing would be...she then immediately open her eyes again and saw Utano was not only the source of that snoring but was hugging her like a pillow.

Mito's face suddenly felt hot as she jumps up in surprise and turns her back in processing the fact they been sleeping like this all night when Utano sits up and stretch her arms. "Man, haven't slept like that in forever!" Utano exclaimed as Mito tried to act as that hasn't happened and clears her throat.

"Y-yeah, unfortunately, we've overslept in the woods and your parents must be very worried! Let's get going now shall we?" Mito insisted Utano smiled as her friend's new energy till something popped in her head.

"Wait, we overslept!? Crud! What are your parents gonna say with you missing, I need to get you back!"

"I-it's fine Utanon, they probably don't know I'm even gone, just focus on getting-"

"Not till your safely back home," Utano told Mito as she got thier stuff and took her to the path Mito came from, "I rather get scolded by my parents than leave you out here alone, it's what friends are for right?" Mito didn't have anything to say, mostly due to Utano's passion making it hard for anyone to change her mind. Yet her spirit was always something Mito clung onto, she didn't have much her own courage, and Utano continues to help fill that part of her missing.

As they were about to enter the dense treeline, the earth below them suddenly shock with such ferocity, Mito grabbed onto Utano as the two tried to keep thier balance and wait it out, but with every passing second, it only felt like these shocks were getting stronger. After over, minute things got worse as they hear something break, and then another and another till they found a tree began to fall. They notice it's changing shadow and looked to see it collapsing, Utano pushed Mito out of the way before barely dodging herself, without even a second passing Mito saw another falling fall, aiming at Utano.

"Get out of there!" she shouted, but Utano barely flinched before disappearing in its tangle of branches, despite the continued shocks Mito ran to her friend and frantically pushed the leaves out of the way till finding her friend covered in scratches and trying to escape. "Grab my hand, I pull you out!"

Utano grabbed her friend's hand and slowly pulled her out till something tears her ankle, she cries out in pain, scaring the already frightened Mito who looks to find out what happened. Utano looks to see another tree roots begin to give and seemed to be aiming at them, she turns to warn Mito but finds her already discovering where her foot it. Not only was it stuck but the branch looked to tear anything trying to escape, she looks at Utano who pointed to the tree close to falling. Utano's eyes telling her to run, but she wasn't going to leave her behind but had nothing to help her. Mito looked for anything and found that new tool amidst the chaos, she grabbed it and plunge it in between the entangled branches. Using both the tool and her hands into freeing Utano who escaped as the other tree collapsed, Utano grabs her friend out of its range in time. She looks at her badly scratched ankle before noticing Mito holding back tears as left hand was covered in deep splinters from grasping the broken woo and dripped with blood.

'We need to get out of here!' Utano thought as a Mito's route was already blocked off but turned to see her path still open. Despite the violent shaking, trees falling and the pain in her foot, she grabs Mito's arm and runs as fast as she can. Each sprang only driving her to make it to a safer place, upon hitting the secret entrance the shaking stopped so suddenly the two nearly fell over. Utano got them both inside the village lines and walking to the main path but stopped as the pain started to really set it, Mito couldn't help as each movement of her shredded hand only intensified the pain. Her eyes closed in handling these stings till Utano tore one of her sleeves and gently wiped the blood, trying to pick out at least a few splinters.

The two eyes meet, thankful to be alive and witnessing how even in danger they'll do anything to keep each other safe.

"Utano!" a voice shouts, Mito couldn't tell who it was, but her friend did as she pulled back up on her feet and guided her to the main road. Out of the shadows, they found the rest of the village, but the sight was saddening, especially for Utano. From where they stood over a dozen houses were damaged from the violent trembles, Mr. Sanjo's home has wholly collapsed with his family overlooking his injured arm, Asano was running back and forth with other villagers in clearing the wreckage at some houses. Mito couldn't believe all this damage, that it ever happening to them or be this bad, but the image that conveyed this dreadful feeling was Utano speechlessness at her own world being this hurt. The powerlessness of the situation was horrifying to her and infuriating.

"Utano!" the voice shouts out again, the two teens turn and see Mr. Hatano pointed at them then running to a crowd and pulling Mr. Shiratori to his found daughter. Upon meeting eyes, the father ran over to his daughter who ran to him as the two shared a hug.

"Are you okay, how's the other girl?" asked but quickly noticed the two riddled with scratches and bruises with the ankle wound looking particularly worrying.

"W-we're okay, is everyone accounted for?" Utano asked as her father and other villagers grabbed clothes to clean up these wounds.

"Everyone's just fine dear, including your moth-..."

"Father?" Utano asked as his look shifted.

"Saru," he whispered before running to thier home, Utano immediately saw her mother was in danger and ran after him with Mito following right behind her. Approaching her home, Utano almost collapses at seeing her home completely destroyed and was nothing more than a pile of old broken wood, then saw her father trying to dig through the rubble. The two friends decide to search the fields but found no sight of her besides Ota looking frightened, Utano tries to calm Ota down as Mito tries to help the Shiratori in searching the wreckage when something pops out.

A black-gloved hand shoots out when a crackle of purple energy fire up into the sky like lightning, Utano was speechless at the phenomena when a black hair girl came out of her ruined home and pulled out her mother. She and her father immediately go and drag her to safety as the savior collapsed with Mito overlooking her. "Saru, I'm so sorry, please wake up!" the father pleaded when Saru coughed and saw her family sigh in relief.

"U-Utano...what d-did I say about, l-leaving..." Saru groaned as she slowly picked up by her family, her daughter smiling and hugging her mother, who was able to give a small smile till she heard a loud cough coming next to them. The three noticed the girl in black lying on the ground, Mito only able to ease the girl's pain as the flow of blood spilling from her half-exposed guts, Utano almost gagged but swallowed and went over to see it is the thief.

As the thief recognized that green-eyed girl, she half chuckled, "H-how about that? Looks like an l-l-little guilt...can be a rough guide."

"Who cares about that! You saved my mother, thank you so so much.P-please tell me we can fix this." Utano pleaded, but the savior only shook her head in a sad but accepting attitude as she pulls something out of her half-torn bag. Utano gasped at seeing her father's straw hat as the dying girl placed it on her lap.

"I...wanted to give back...knowing y-you'll whine about it, hehe a-all day."

Utano looked at the hat but then drew all her attention to this kind savior as she comfortingly clung her bloodied arm, "Thank you, for everything."

"Don't say that..." the savior remorse, "I, I failed in stopping...them...now the job is in your hands."

Mito and Utano exchanged looks of confusions at her slurred words till she coughed out, "L-listen if you want to protect your home...and many others like it, you need to take my hand and do whatever it takes to stop them!"

"Stop what, who's them?" Mito asked till the girl coughed again with more blood spilling out her mouth, and her eyes half-closed. Utano gazed at the hands, those words echoing in her head till she subconsciously reached out to grab them along with another.

Her eyes were then blinded by a light as the girl's voice weakly spoke, 'Enter this realm with no fear, look into your heart for what your most desired wish is and use the closest weapon to slay these beasts.'

'Wha-? I-I...okay.'

'Hehe, you're too naive...for your own damn good.'

'Maybe...are you going to die?'

'I...was prepared for it years ago.'

'Please, tell me your name!'

'My nam-...heh, no one ever asked for my n-name, be...before...'

The light dimmed before a loud shatter brought Utano back to reality, she turns to her girl but saw those eyes devoid of life. Covering her mouth in horror, feeling like she's partly to blame for this, a hand grabs hers as Mito tried to recenter her friend to the girl's last wish.

The earth shook again, but thier fears dilated back when it stopped seconds later, Utano was frozen in place, "Did that, have something to do with-"

"Ahh!" Mito screamed as she pointed to where the lake is as they saw a pillar of light of in the distance, then a wave of colorful light as tall as mountains began to draw closer to them.

A frantic panic ensued as Utano turned to her parents only to see them completely frozen, the two looked everywhere and found thier whole world now frozen in place. All this as the flashing lights were getting closer, Mito could barely say any words when Utano remembered a crucial piece she's missing and quickly went to grab her small whip as the light was meters away. Everything slowed as Mito stared into the wall of fire when Utano ran in front of her, shielding her as it collided.

For the briefest of seconds, thier was nothing but a white void till Utano gasped as her eyes shot open, she drew back and saw Mito look up at her when a brush of wind pulled thier direction to thier surroundings. Mito clung onto Utano as the two stood in a whole new world, a jungle of large branches spawling into the vast vista ahead, these weren't ordinary branches however but were covered in a rainbow of colors so intense it was almost disorienting if one stares too long. A rushing stream ran next to them and made them turn around to see the most massive tree they've ever seen, a pillar of shining silver and pink that radiated energy as it looked to be surrounded by a pool of sparkling water.

_"Through that one promise, the destiny of me and my best friend was set."_

Mito could barely move or even feel her feet as they were frozen in shock of this strange realm unlike anything she saw or heard of, "Utanon...where did that thing take us? A-are we dead? Why did everyone suddenly freeze...? Utanon?" Mito asked when she noticed Utano already waist-deep in the pool as she walked to and reaching her hand out to the humongous tree. Mito shrieked in panic, stumbling after her but stopped at the shore, scared of what's in it. "Utanon what are you doing!? Just because in stories something glows it doesn't always make it good!"

"Wha-?" Utano muttered when her fingertips touched the tree, a flash of bright light flashed till Mito saw Utano be electrocuted. A blast so strong and sudden it blew her out of the pool, crashing next to Mito who frantically looked over her friend, seeing her eyes were dazed and she was covered in soot. She thankfully but still oddly found no scarring caused by that flash when Utano's eyes flashed open, sitting right up and frightening Mito who heard her ramble, "Whoa aku hidup! Mito l'hai visto !? Nilikuwa nikisimama tu wakati wham!

"Uhhh...say again?"

"Huh? I said whoa I'm alive, did you see that I was just standing there when wham."

"Okay I believe you...but the one before that was nothing but gibberish Utanon."

"No, it wasn't it was-...from that tree, yeah somehow that tree did something!"

"Ok, slow down," Mito kneeled next to her, "Now why did you suddenly go to touch it?"

"Well, as soon as I saw it, I heard a whisper, something calling for me or maybe it was actually a hundred whispers. Whatever it was, it was quite friendly, and I felt complied to touch the tree, and the moment I did, I saw everything..."

"E-everything?"

"Yeah," Utano said with awe, "as all the answers hit me at once by someone or something...then I forgot it all, then I remembered, only to forget it again. Then I got distracted by these funny-sounding words, so now I can speak all of them or at least the basics."

"So, a magic tree was trying to tell you something, and all you took from it was made up words?'

"Yeah, now I think it doesn't want to talk to me anymore. What do you think sounds better, by the way, Française or Nederlands?"

"What!?"

"French or Dutch."

"I don't even know what those are!"

"Yeah neither do I," Utano chuckled at the absurdity of this strange world but noticed Mito slump over, realizing her behavior was helping in easing her friend's agitation. She doesn't blame her, despite her keeping it together she's in some ways more freaked out about this world now knowing how fundamentally different it's reality is to thier own. This level of spirituality was something from a mystical story, but what did it have to do with that girl's warning?

"I just don't get it," Mito muttered fearfully, "Why did all this have to happen to us, why drag us in this place?."

"Mii," Utano said in a more serious tone, "We still got each other, that girl warned us about this, fully knowing we're capable of figuring out what's going on and protecting the village somehow."

"I-I guess, still doesn't change the fact we don't even know the name of this place."

"It's called the Jukai." a voice rang behind them, the two got up and saw no one around at first till a white feline creature jumped out of a branch and walked towards them. " Or at least that's what the first magical girls to arrive here named it, sort of stuck around since then as a sort of legend, until now of course."

The two stared in shock at what they're seeing and listening, Utano gripped her whip as Mito tried to form words but was too distracted by the talking cat. "I assume you two are here cause of that magical girl huh," the white feline continued, "that must be the case since no human should be able to enter without some magic assistance."

"Magical...hold on, do you mean the girl who saved my mom?"

"That's correct, course, why she decided to do so over recovering her magic to continue the fight, is beyond me." Especially with this new threat potentially endangering this whole island if it isn't stopped soon."

"H-how could you say that?" Mito asked, disturbed at its dismissal of her heroic actions, "she just saved a life."

"My own mother no less!" Utano angrily spatted back.

"And because of that there's now no one left to defend this region and if these monsters continue to wreak havoc, your home and many like it will be wiped out."

The creature's sudden ominous warning sent shivers through thier bodies, Utano then asked, "Who are you? Just what is going on here?"

"My name is..actually just call me Cube, I was the former partner to that girl who knew I will be here the moment forestization began. In terms of what's going on, well, it's probably best to just see it for yourself." He then ran into the forest with the two following behind him, crisscrossing through the jungle of rainbow vines and trees till coming to an opening and seeing a vast land of large roots as far as the eye can see. At a distance in front of them was a jumble of white blobs, there movements like flies buzzing ontop of dead animal till the two realized how big those things really are.

The land they festered lost all of its colors, nothing but white husks and burned marks covering it and slowly spreading to the surrounding area. "T-this must be a nightmare...these demons...they can't be real," Mito utter in complete terror of the mere existence of such monsters.

"They're as real here as any other animal would be in yours, where we stand here is the root of all life on eart-sorry, uhh of all the lands. Everything here from the roots we stand on, to the deserts, tundras, jungles, and rivers is all connected to the world above. That tree one of your tried to touch is called by the magical girls here, the Shinju, above all else it must be protected."

"The Shinju..." Utano whispered as she turned to gaze up at the dominant tree, " What happens when someone damages it, or if those things continue to act like that."

"If that happens, disaster occurs," Cube explains, "Natural disasters happen all the time. Its just part of life here but the kind of disasters these monsters, the stardust cause is far more malicious. When the magical girl failed in stopping them, the damaged they caused was enough to trigger a powerful earthquake and after that anything could happen from horrible weather, bad harvests, disease, volcanic eruptions. This can only be stopped by someone powerful, we need a magical girl."

Utano could feel her heart race as her gut felt worse with every word said, her whole perception of the world changed by these words, but in this moment of shock, she saw Mito completely petrified. Hugging her knees and feeling so powerless now knowing thier regular lives is threatened by something they never knew existed, believing they can only watch as these demons slow erode thier home to a lifeless husk.

Utano was going to accept that, she turned to this Cube and asked him, "How can I become one?" Mito snapped out of her despair at those words.

"A wish," Cube answered, "The one thing you desire the most, in exchange of me fulfilling it you'll be granted with magic powerful enough to likely stop these stardusts."

"Un solo deseo..." Utano whispered, thinking the hardest she can when she asked, "Will I get a weapon to stop them?"

"A weapon will be anything you carry and enhance with your magic, by the looks of it that whip might do the trick."

"That's comforting to hear," Utano looked at the one tool she practiced for years now to be her weapon to save her home, a tug on her sleeve turned her attention to Mito. Her friend look warning her of making such a deal, of possibly becoming something she isn't ready for. Utano admits to herself she probably isn't, but its either this or let these monsters ravage thier home. 'What other choice do I have?' she tells herself before turning back to Cube.

"I'm ready," she says, her posture strong and confident.

"What do you wish for above all else Utano Shiratori?" Cube asks.

"I wish...that my village and all the land of Suwa is safe from any magical and non-magical danger...forever, and that they always be peaceful, prosperous and happy."

Utano smiled at those last words, each one is given with all her passion, then a sharp pain stabbing in her chest. A bright light enveloped her as gusts of wind surged from the source, Mito fell to her knees at such force, barely seeing her friend as something rises to the air. Bursting with light and magic, a yellow and white spark covered Utano until one final burst flickered out the strong light as the new magical girl lands on her feet.

Utano felt light-headed till a vigor of magic rushed through her veins, and she saw her new outfit. No longer she wore dirty, torn up clothes of a peasant but a string of yellow, white and green fabric with leather armor-like padding around her arms. Firm yet loose that she could make more acrobatic moves, she notices yellow braids now handing from her hair that connects to a flower accessory adorning her hair with a single gem at the center. She feels the handle of her weapon is different and jumps at what was once a flimsy little tool now turned into a finely crafted weapon with the whip now far longer and brimming with this magic.

She almost felt lost in observing this new sensation but realized the purpose for such a decision, turning to the stardust that noticed her transformation and was heading directly for them. She readies her weapon and looks at her dear friend who was stared in disbelieve of what she's has done, Utano gives her a reassuring smile before saying, "Stay here with Cube, I'll go and save our home, wish me luck."

Within a single leap, she jumps over hundreds of yards, rushing headfirst in the swarm of monstrous demons. Pulling back her weapon as she cries out, "Whatever you creatures are, I won't let you destroy our home!" Her weapon snapped a thunderous boom as it cleaved through its first enemy, she lands and swings her whip all across her as they try to attack her to no avail. Utano kept attacking one after another, but her wild rush into the enemy ranks showed it's errors as they seemingly kept coming and her vigours first moments was quickly draining.

Mito could barely see her friend so far away, the sight of those things surrounding Utano frightened more than anything else. "S-she just rushed in there...without worry about herself, only to everyone else."

"Utano is a brash person surely, but she needs to strategize now or else lose the upper hand." Cube warned as the trappings in one's first battle were so easy to fall into.

"I-I-I can't just stand here...she out there fighting for everyone and I'm just here on the sidelines again...only able to watch her as I do nothing." Mito hated it, she hated feeling so weak, so useless all her life. She could never shake it off this pathetic nature, but seeing her only friend fight in the name of thier home, she saw the time to stand up for once in her life has to be now.

"She told you to stay here and away from the battle," Cube warned, "you're only going to get in her way, even if you were to make a contract with me, your potential is far too weak to make much of a difference."

"I know...I've known for all my life I'll achieve nothing, no talents or passions to define myself. Unlike Utano, I'm just some nobody who's ignored even by my own parents...but I won't let it stop me from helping my friend!" With fire in her heart, she ran as fast as she could down the vine path, trying not to let her fear to control her just for this once. She kept her focus on Utano fighting ahead, suddenly seeing her retreat away from the swarm but then cut off as they attempt to overwhelm her was working. Mito ran faster and faster till tripping and falling into the coverings below, she tried to move till a sharp pain in her right hand made her reel in agony as she has just broken her wrist.

"Argh! Gah! Stupid! Even trying to help I still screw up, what am I suppose to do now!?" she cried as tears of self-hatred and pain flowed down her cheeks, in this dark moment her eyes catch a glimmer of light up ahead of her. A small root grew out of the ground and glowed similarly to the Shinju, upon seeing it, she built up the sudden confidence to crawl forward to the glowing root. Despite her injury and self-doubt trying to stop her, she got closer and closer till she grabbed on, all its radiance seeping in her hand and spreading across her body, the last of its light transferring into Mito as she falls back from her body and gasps for air after absorbing such power. Then a voice calling out to her, as the pain in her hand vanishes.

Utano swung again and again at the stardust, thier numbers seemingly endless as pain seeps into her arms, one dust attacks from behind forcing her to dodge out of the way but landing in a burnt root that shattered. She falls into the tangle of roots, using her whip to grab onto a root, stopping her momentum till a stardust smashed it. Falling a hundred feet and crashing below. She picks herself up but sees the chared roots spreading along with stardust closing in. Her hands tremble as they closed in after her but stands her ground and prepares for another attack. Three stardust descended towards her when a flash of bright light explodes between them, disorienting the monsters and allowing Utano to quickly destroy them. Another two flares of light shoot into the canopy and scatter the swarm.

Utano knew it wasn't her till she saw Mito wearing a huge white robe with her hand dimming glowing of magic. "Mito!? H-how did you do that? You didn't make a wish, did you?"

"I wouldn't have made a difference if I did, I think I heard what that tree was trying to tell you as well as be given these unique gifts. I may not be able to direct fight like you, but with this power, I'll be your guide and support you in any way I can Utanon."

"Mii," Utano muttered in admiration of her friend's confidence.

"Also it said to focus better next time on what others say and not just take random languages from it cause they sound cool."

"Si vous pouvez le dire désolé et je n'ai aucun regret," Utano said, but sadly Mito still couldn't understand her friend's strange new words. A vibration of the ground told them the enemy was returning, Mito could sense Utano significantly diminished thier numbers, and these looked to be the last ones. "Stay close to me!" Utano ordered as over a dozen stardust swarm in.

Her powerful whip slashing through thier numbers, Mito stayed close behind her friend and saw two of them coming from above, with a quick raising of her hand a dome of light briefly appears and stops the two dusts thus allowing Utano to finish those two off. A long pause followed suit, the two stood back to back watching out for any more to show but only found thier little friend jump towards them.

"Well, that went...better off considering the circumstances. I especially never seen a human be granted such limited yet interesting magic, but if anything could achieve that it would be the shinju."

"So it's over then?" Mito asked

"For now, this small encounter was only a cluster of what's awaiting the islands."

"Even more of them? I mean, I'll fight, but I can't be everywhere at once." Utano confessed to hearing the ominous news.

"Obviously not, but you might be able to convince the others in building a successful defense against these stardusts."

"The others? Who are you taking abo-huh?"

Utano stopped as rainbow leaves began to swarm around them, a bright light enveloping the land once again but thier was a serenity to this storm. A calming resolving after thier first fight, the first of many in the coming future.

Utano and Mito eyes were shielded but found they were back in the middle of thier village, everyone was in the middle of recovering from the damage till they saw the two girls appear in the road. A crowd formed around them as the dozen voices from the young and old were asking them questions left and right, the two noticed they were still in thier outfits and Cube was right next to them. This insistence on answering such questions stopped when Utano's mother and father got through the crowd and saw thier daughter in a strange new outfit, holding a weapon they never saw before.

"U-Utano, where did you go?" her father asked, "The two of you vanished for almost an hour, and we looked for yo-"

"Where did that outfit come from!?" her mother interrupted, "And what happened to the whip!?"

"Uhh, hehe well everyone," Utano nervously said and shared a look with Mito, smiling as she said, "All we ask of you is that you don't freak out and that we're perfectly safe at the time being. Also if I say random words it's either Esperanto or French, don't ask..."

* * *

A/N: The official introduction of the Jukai, don't worry there's a reason why the incubators or anybody never mentioned it before, also if this incubator sounds familiar that's cause he's from a magica spin-off story.

Also, don't worry about Mito, she's not going to do crazy magic moves I'm still sticking close to what Mikos mainly do. The insertion of Utano's quirky speech pattern may be a bit awkward but I also wanted to keep that aspect, rather than sacrifice that bit about the character. Plus they're just fun to insert but please correct me if they're a bit janky.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4: The Long Road ahead**

Saru didn't mind the company, sure it might not be thier house since the old one is still destroyed, but the number of people muttering just outside the past few hours was putting her on edge. The Hinano family was kind enough to provide them temporary housing, albeit still cluttered with the number of residents already living there, but she was good friends to them already, so it keeps her busy by just talking to some of them. She walked into the main room with ingredients for tonight's dinner, there she saw with one of the youngest of their many sons playing around with a toy.

"Have the boys brought in the rest of the ingredients?" Saru asked, "What about news from outside, any relieve coming?"

"In any other circumstances, I say we wouldn't be good with either but not only have we got more than enough food for us but they came in saying a whole column of carpenters and soldiers are coming in with all the help we need," said in shock of what her sons told her earlier.

"W-what size are we talking here?"

"Enough where we're not only recovering but expanding, and from what I heard, the town across the lake is totally unscathed from those terrible shocks, better even if what others are hearing about is true."

"That's incredible..." Saru whispered as they prepped the food, she also saw the look of Mrs. Hinano eyeing the room her daughter is currently in as the noise outside grew just slightly louder. "Are you doing okay?" she asks her friend.

"That girl of yours...Utano...did you knew she possessed such powers?"

"I've told you and everyone else before, she has never shown any magical abilities in her life, she was born and raised like any other child." Saru dismissed the allegation, fearing of the wrong impression they've been hiding it or even worse.

"Okay but...and I'm not saying this in a bad way, did you actually find her-"

"For goodness sake, we have the same hair color, and who else in this village acts closest to my husband as she does! Those two wouldn't even hurt a fly."

"I'm sorry, Saru," her friend apologized as she looked out to the door, "Guess I and everyone else is trying to wrap our heads around what is going on. It's like something straight of those tales, an out of nowhere Kami that no one else but your daughter can see comes to us after a great catastrophe to grant her powers to stop these...dusts clouds?"

"That's what she said they look like," Saru clarified, "In terms of what they are it's more confusing, either Oni because of the large...teeth, or Yokai from the odd shape they possess being unlike any Oni from a story she or any of us know."

Her breathing became more stuttered, hesitant almost in finishing her sentence, which brought Mrs. Hinano's attention to her friend, "Are you worried about her?"

Saru stopped what she was doing, sighing heavily as those fears were coming back to her, "Honestly... I know she'll be okay cause if there's anything I learned while raising that girl is that she's a hard-worker capable of achieving any goal given to her. No, what I'm more afraid of...is what's out there, waiting for her."

"From the way she describes them, those monsters sound very terrifying." her friend agreed only to see Saru shake her head in disagreement.

"Those aren't the only things out there ready to kill her," she clarified as she remembers tales of samurai and bandits from decades ago, thier blades willing to slice down any that get in there way.

* * *

Utano sat properly with her eyes closed, still wearing her yellow magic garbs, Mito sitting right beside her. Both were alone in the upstairs room while Utano's father, with his three closest friends, waited outside, respectful of the girl's privacy when conversing with a potential Kami. She squints and mumbles in frustration, soon breaking form by slouching, which complied Mito to ask, "Uh, Utano? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if I can speak to other people without saying a word...but it's not working," Utano grumbled as both Mito and Cube sighed while her father in the other room could catch her daughter silliness, causing the man to chuckle.

"Utano focus on the matter at hand, no one else can see or hear me, and that's probably for the best, so listen to what I say and then translate it the best you can. Also seriously? Telepathy is easy to do, especially on other people." Cube explained

"Utano can learn quite a few things," Mito expressed, "doesn't mean it'll be quick. If she has trouble, I'll help her out."

"Okay, I'm focused now." Utano said to the animal's mind, "tell me great Kami, what is your message you wish to bestow me, your chosen warrior."

"Just...Cube is fine for now, please," he stuttered, "As I was saying, what occurred was only the beginning of something far, far bigger. I've been noticing strange patterns in the stars above, ones we haven't seen for over a thousand years. Sadly the sporadic nature of these occurrences means no one else knows about them, at least those who survived to tell about them."

"I see," Utano said, less stiff and proper in her tone as she asks something lingering in her heart, "So, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Warn others like you about the invasion, three in particular," Cube answered.

"Why three?" Mito asked

"That requires some context, you see in everyday life, people like you are under the rule by the shogun, but in the world of magical girls, it's a far different story. How much do you know about the old wars?"

"You mean the ones two generations ago?" Mito asked while Utano shrugged, only having a brief knowledge of what they were.

"Yes, well, during all of that, the world of magical girls were in similar squabbles. Never fighting with or against humans but amongst each other over hunting grounds of creatures called Wraiths. Dark spirits that threaten people but once defeated drop material essential to Magical girls like Utano to replenish magic."

"Wait, I need those? Like how many? Is it like a daily thing? Please tell me I still need regular food." Utano worriedly spoke up, enough to get an eye glance from the men overhearing this, Mr. Shiratori signaling to them things were going alright.

"Your fine for now," Cube calmly told her, "the previous magical girl carried a stash with her but was already too far gone to use them. You were able to recover a small bag from her, right?" Utano expression immediately saddens in remembrance of her dead companion, Mito noticed and brought out the bag instead, being no bigger than the palms of thier hands.

"That right there is why an underground war been going on amongst magical girls for decades and is why three figures became as powerful as they are now. These three, born from the most powerful clans and samurai, rose up in power. It was their ambitions and skills that thier groups grew larger with each victory until they controlled vast swaths of land with hundreds of magical girls under them, swearing loyalty in exchange for grief cubes, protection, and honor among magical girls."

"Was the previous girl here, part of one of these groups?" Utano asked

"No, there were a few rogue magical girls still fighting for themselves, but even they occasionally collaborated with one of these clans. Despite the war you know being long over, the war among magical girls is still on. Tensions, for now, are mild but it only takes one spark to ignite hostility between them. Ignorant of the real threat coming." Cube explained as she looked back up to Utano, "I need you to convince the clan of the west this threat exists, you're our only shot in providing her with information, and if you succeed then, we have some authority to hopefully cease this conflict and focus thier forces on stopping the incoming wave. It's our only shot..."

"Ehhhh!?" Utano shrieked in shock, everyone flinching at the reaction."W-wha-wait a minute, I have to leave my home to go...someplace out west!?"

"You won't be walking in circles," Cube reassured, "I'll accompany you and make sure you're on the right path."

Utano clenched her fists, apprehension clouding her thoughts as she asks, "How far away is it?"

Cube fell silent, hesitantly answering with, "Over 200 miles on the shortest path. A long, long way, yes...but I need you, Utano! Others like me are working with the clans but don't share this concern nor have the willingness to warn them even if they did. If I went alone, I wouldn't even get close, but with you along, our warning might work."

Utano nodded, glancing at an agitated Mito who asked, "How long will Utanon be gone?"

Cube stood there till turning his back, his tail drooping along with his ears, "I'm sorry. I can't assuredly say how long this journey will be for your friend."

"or that I'll even come back..." Utano whispered to herself, but Mito heard it, all the same, having no words at such an answer.

"Yes...I'm sorry." Cube said, then turning back to the two, "But you don't have to worry about Mito, your family or anyone residing in Suwa. That wish of yours practically made this place heaven, they will be okay. Trust me, wish magic is powerful stuff." Despite Cube's effort, the air was sorrowful and silent between the two friends whose paths might separate for who knows how long.

Mito's thoughts tried to rationalize all this, from the threat of thier home being far larger they anticipated to the dread of being alone. Looking over to her friend, the only warrior capable of fulfilling this task, her face showed great worry for not just Mito but off the world. While her home may be safe for now, how long and powerful is this magic against a force whose power is only equal to its eerie nature.

Utano was lost in these thoughts, but when she saw Mito worried eyes, she breathed in new, fresh air and smiled to them both, "I'm fine, is that all you wished to say?"

"Just one last thing before I go." Cube said as he jumped onto the window beside them, "If you have any willingness to embark on this journey, then get ready, we're leaving tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. This invasion is creeping faster than I expected, we don't have much time left. If you don't go...nothing will stop this storm."

Utano nodded, smiling at the spirit creature as she respectfully bowed, "I understand, thank you for guidance."

Having said everything he could've, Cube left the two to thier thoughts, hoping human's concept of duty and empathy will drive her them to the right decision. Mito looked over to the door where Utano's father and friends waited to hear the news, a chuckle from Utano caught her ear as she saw her scratch her hair, shaking her head in disbelieve of what they have to say next.

Mito anxiously twisted a piece of her hair when she said, "Utanon if you want me to tell the others-"

"No," Utano said assuredly, looking down at her clenched hands than at Mito, "I'll tell them myself. Thank you for sticking by my side Mii."

Mito stood up, sighing as she looked down at Utano as she said, "Of course...I'll let them in."

Mito slid the door open and under cover of four men, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind her. Going down the stairs step by step, sad but accepting that her purpose and usefulness to Utano was waining under the weight of the more significant threat at hand. Mito doesn't blame her; if fact, she wasn't sure herself what use she'll be in such a mission.

She unknowingly walked into the main room where Utano's mother was handling food with Mrs. Hianao, Saru noticed her first and asked, "Mito? What's wrong? Did everything go alright up there?"

"Huh? Oh, well- I think it went alright, but..." Mito tried to explain this somehow to the woman but was quickly getting lost in her stuttering and nerves getting to her.

Saru stopped what she was doing and walked over to the timid girl and softly asked, "Mito, your not gonna be able to speak with that mannerism, but then again, I can imagine witnessing something so otherworldly can have that effect. Similarly, they say a nice cup of tea always calms the nerves, how about I make you some?"

"Huh!? No one ever-well I mean...your so busy already, I just slow down, and maybe Utano is more suited to tell you-"

"Goodness, I see why you two connected." Saru sighed

"Us two-what do you mean?" Mito asked when Utano's mother gave an oddly similar smile Utano herself would provide.

"How about this, I'll tell you if you'll share tea with me, after that you tell me what's going on with the spirits."

Mito couldn't respond, as Saru was already at the stove and grabbing the cups, leaving Mito alone next to an empty pillow for her to sit on the table. Despite being far more serious and authoritative than Utano, Mito saw her mother as still troubled over others, and this was her way of handling it. Mito sat down with a nervous kind of red blush on her face, only slightly levitated by the silly sight of the Hinano's youngest playing nearby. In no time, Mito saw a tray plop onto the table, and Saru putting the cup in front of her and grabbing her own as she sat across Mito.

"Okay, I'll go first," she announced as she took a sip, "the reason why I say that is because Utano wasn't too different."

"You mean she was s-shy?" Mito asked Mrs. Shiratori, who laughed, which kind of shock her.

"The little thing wouldn't even leave the house for several days, frighten seemingly by everything and everyone besides us. In fact, when we got Ota, she was no older than five years old, and she wouldn't even get close to the animal. She'll cry every time just from being near it."

Mito blinked in surprise, "S-she never told me before, but I guess I understand, it does sound embarrassing compared to who she is now. So what happened to change all that?"

The mother sighed before taking another sip of tea, "I think what really changed that girl was learning that others were just as scared as she was of the world." Mito took a sip as she grew more intensive to the story, "I remember she just turned six, my husband and I figured the best small step in facing the outside world will be the fields. He took her to the back porch, but when she couldn't go any further, he had to carry her to the cleanest looking patch as she was so scared of getting sick. The moment, however, she laid her hands and experienced what farming is like; she somehow wasn't afraid. Trembling sure but somehow willing to give it a chance, then it became an hour and then another hour and another until it was already getting close to dusk. We were proud of her, but in that moment of pride, we ignored the clouds above us, and the moment we felt the first droppings, we lost sight of her."

Mito nearly choked on her drink when she heard that, clearing her throat as Saru look ashamed, "We were still a foolish couple, especially when worrying every day about our daughter's future, and because of that, we nearly lost her forever. The drizzles in an hour grew to one of the harshest storms we've ever experienced, even in such a moment of fear we've put together she went too far out into the fields and wandered into the woods. We've searched and searched for her till we risked falling into flooded areas and had to call it off till morning came...I've felt like I failed, and her father did get a second of sleep that night and at the crack of dawn was already out searching."

Saru smiled as she finished the last of her tea, "By the time I got everyone, and we walked out, here he came carrying her and trying to hold back tears. We were so relieved and thankful to have found her when one of her father's friends asked how he found her so fast after an entire night in a terrible storm. She spoke for him, telling us how she heard someone cry in the woods, she wanted to tell us but was scared of leaving this poor soul alone and decided to go in herself. She didn't know what she was doing or even why only driven by pure emotion to stop these cries. Some girl was in the woods, and the two talked till the storm turned the meadow into a swamp, by the way, she describes it they likely would've drowned under the mud if it wasn't for Utano pulling the both of them out and into a small cave. Her heart wanting nothing more but to save this random girl who was just as scared as she was, taking the responsibility calming her and promising everything will be alright in the end. She passed out that night, and Utano carried her all the way back to her home before finding her way back."

Mito finished her tea as Saru tapped her fingers on the table, "She changed the next day instantly, appreciative of life more than ever, of others upon hearing everyone trying to find her but I think the thing she took away that terrifying night...was that other people are scared too, of the darkness, of danger. Sometimes we wouldn't know what to do or even give in to this despair...but Utano didn't let that consume her. What she found instead was her bravery and empathy towards others just as scared. Vowing from that day on to always staying positive and do the best or everyone...and that farming was the best thing ever."

Mito snickered at that last line, smiling from being shared such a story and at Utano herself at being even more amazing at what she does. It's what attracted Mito to actually go up and talk to her, that bond grew and developed into the one thing keeping her going, it was these thoughts that reminded her that connection might soon be severed by Utano's quest. Mito is happy to see her achieve greatness but also wonders where would she be in all this.

"Well, feel at least a bit better?" the mother asked, Mito broke out of her thoughts and shyly smiled while nodding to the kind lady. "Good, now hold up your end of the deal and spill everything you know about this quest. Don't hold out any details, I'll know when you do." Mito suddenly felt a shiver on her back from the woman's authority and told her everything they heard.

It was an interesting sight for Mito, and she went on with the story and seeing the mother's expression shift into great concern. The revelation of a war still going on and the time they have left until those things come were the last things Mito said, but by this time, she saw the woman had enough of such tales, scratching her hair nervously in processing this. "It's awful, and we of all people now have to do something about it." Mito professed.

"It is," Saru shakenly said, "and that's why we'll give you two all the necessary supplies, not to mention permits to travel but even with those I'm worried about-"

"You two?" Mito asked the mother gives her a confused look.

"Yeah, you and Utano...are you not going with her?"

"I...I don't-" Mito mumbled as the mother realized what really shaken up this girl.

The creaking of wood boards signaled to them someone coming from upstairs, they find it was actually several with all four men with looks ranging from concern to utter shock, the two knew Utano told them everything as well and weren't handling it too well. Mr. Shiratori was the only one still looking focused as he sat down with his wife, looking at her and Mito, catching on that Saru also was told the story.

"Is she still up there?" Saru asked

"She wanted to be left alone for a while, she's still thinking about it," he answered

"What did you say about it?"

He looked up to where her room is, saying, "Nothing, this decision isn't for me or anyone else to make for it. This is her destiny, I would just be interfering in that. There was one request she asked for me, however," He then turned her gaze to Mito, hesitantly he spoke, "Mito, we're going to be looking after you from now on."

She barely was able to say anything as he continued, "Utano felt that if she is to go on this quest, she wants us to be your guardians from now on. She cares a lot about you and wants to make sure you're safe and not alone; we may have just met, but if you've been friends for so long, then I see no reason for not to get along as well, right?"

He turns to his wife, who nods back at him with an assured smile and speaks to Mito. "If things do end up as that and Utano goes, we'll be here with open arms, Mito. Like Utano, this is up to you as well, do whatever you think will make you and Utano happy."

Despite thier efforts to ease her into this, Mito slumped her head down in sorrow, not looking at them as she said, "No, it's fine...if that's what she really wants...she'll get it." Suddenly she stands up and runs out the back way, the others look at the couple, but they hold their friends back and let the girl go, now unsure of this request is for the best for both of them.

"Ah, man, this is depressing." Mr. Asano groaned before eyeing a particular cabinet in the main room. "Hey, Mr. Hinano you don't mind if we-"

"I think we all need some after all this," the old man said as he went to open up the cabinet and pull out a jar of sake for special occasions. He handing Mr. Asano and Sanjo their cups before looking at the father himself. "You know she'll be going."

"You don't know that," he grunted

"She has too much good within her, this is the fate of the world we're talking about, she just wants to ease the pain as long as she can for you two." He pours two cups for them, "I swear, this is why I never wanted a girl...they hurt the old heart too much for me to handle."

Despite his insistence they refuse, the couple comforting each other as they quietly sat while the three men ease the pain thier own way, all realizing the brightness in thier lives will leave by tomorrow morning.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mito tried to hide away, running behind homes, and not stopping as these emotions ate inside her. Her wooden sandals break, causing her to fall into the mud street, scurrying to a secluded spot between two wrecked homes as tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

_"She cares a lot about you and wants to make sure you're safe and not alone."_

"Yeah, right," she sobs in remembering those words, "She knows how much of a burden I am, a stupid distraction to her, someone needing protection who'll only get her killed!" Mito's mind gets infested with memories before she befriended Utano, those days alone in her room, nothing going on with no one to talk to. All those times of feeling useless to her uncaring family and being a nobody everybody else. It now seems she'll be returning back to those dark days with no place to call home.

"Utanon...you could've at least told me yourself, I least I would've known you care enough about me to say it...what am I saying...now I'm accusing her of acting cruel, I should know better!" she yells at herself, stuck in this dark abyss of self hatred, at feeling like a useless being who now blames her only friend than herself of her troubles.

She wallows in this horrible feeling, the outside noises eventually drowning out her cries as a bigger crowd gathers around where Utano is. From where she stands, the loud noises they're making looked to her like a mob, perhaps scared of Utano and what she may bring. She grows more worried when someone opens the front door and shouts back at the crowd, things only looked tenser as the two sides begin to talk back and forth about something about Utano. Mito trembles in fear of what those people may do when someone suddenly stood before all of them on the roof.

The yellow garbs and green hair a sign to everyone precisely who it is, suddenly all stood silent as Utano slid down the roof and lands in front of the crowd.

"Utano, hold on!" Mr. Shiratori should as she runs out but is stopped by his daughter holding out a hand, her look confident in dealing with the situation herself.

"Did all of you wanna see me? If you're scared or angry at me, I understand, nothing like this has ever happened to our home. I'm not asking you to accept me, but to please leave my family and friends out of this." Her voice commanding yet earnest with the crowd as the air went silent for several seconds till the group went on thier knees and bowed to Utano.

The people inside were stunned as each one of them then pull out a myriad of small bags containing coins or rice with handfuls of matching clothes and other materials. Utano was flustered at this reaction, when an older man rose his up to the girl and explained, "We wish to give back to you a sliver of the relief we received thanks to your wish, the Suwa Clan never treated us like this before, but now they're providing us with more freedoms and fewer tax burdens all while the crops have suddenly been grown faster than ever. All because of you."

"Ah- T-thanks, all of you really b-but I can't accept all of this."

"Why not?" the older man asks, "Is it not enough? Perhaps not to your qualitative standards?"

"No, all of this suits both those it's just-" Utano stops herself, turning to her parents and family friends before begrudgingly telling the whole village, "I've decided to leave by tomorrow morning, and I can't take all your precious gifts with me."

Everyone who listened seemingly all gasped simultaneously at this news, the crowd was shocked from the announcement of such a sudden departure, she saw her parents cling to each other with both sadden yet silently accepting her decision. Far away, Mito lowered her head at the confirmation and briefly fallen back to that depressed state.

"Great Shiratori, why leave so soon after bestowing us with such treasures and the honor of having you here?" the spokesperson for the village begged, the whole crowd looked utterly confused and hurt.

Utano tried to quell them, and she explained, "Please know this isn't because of any of you...along with being bestowed my powers, I must now go on a quest westward so to prevent further disaster from happening to many villages and towns like ours."

"B-but, what about us? What if these vile creatures you speak of come back to us!?" one person from the crowd asked.

"My wish magic didn't just secure the quality of life here but also made sure everyone in Suwa is protected from these monsters, whether I'm here or not. Live your life's here like any other day, and I assure you, our home is now safer than anywhere else."

Utano smiled a little in seeing everyone at least calm down slightly, course the looks of concern was still prevalent on many of thier faces as well as from her family and friends behind her. Utano felt frozen in her spot, that feeling of guilt slithering back in from seeing the people she'll be leaving behind. Suddenly a cry broke out of the crowd, Utano saw it was a baby in his mother's arms who was crying loudly with fits of coughing in between.

"Shh, Toki, please be quiet." the mother tried to calm her son, rocking him with her arms but unable to stop the cries. It knocked everyone out of thier thoughts as they looked back at the two, then Utano walked down and through the crowd of people till she was in front of the woman. "Forgive my son, he's been coughing like this for a week." she worriedly explained but saw Utano have a similar look of worry for the sick infant.

"Let me see him." she kindly asked, reaching out her arms which the mother gently placed her child on, trusting of this mystical guardian of thier village. Utano similarly rocked the baby in her arms, softly humming a tune her own mothers sang to her when she was this old, all this quelled the child's cries but didn't stop its coughing fits which only sounded louder with each passing second. She then noticed him eye the flower on her forehead; she grabs if and sees the new gem shining brightly, which caught the infant's attention. She softly smiles and hands the gem to the baby, that's when it suddenly glowed a bright light, everyone whose eyes gazed upon it had to shield themselves from such radiance. Even being so far away, Mito could barely look where the light was.

A few seconds pass when the light dies down, Utano sees her gem slightly darker but also heard the child laughing, causing the mother to gasp from such sounds. "H-he hasn't laughed since those awful coughs, he's as happy as ever!" Utano puts together the cause behind the apparent cure, smiling as she hands back the mother her child, the two similarly happy when the woman gazes at her, "Thank you Great Shiratori, your powers are truly benevolent."

"Hehe, Utano's fine really, anything to help others out." she shugged of casually when one other individual held out a bandaged arm.

"Great- I mean, Utano, could you fix my arm?"

"My wife got a deep cut in her leg, it's only grown worsed, and I'm worried about her."

"If you can, is it possible you can fix my eyesight?"

"All right, all right!" Mr. Shiratori ran into the overwhelming crowd and next to his daughter, "Don't pressure her and let her recover momentarily before-"

"Dad, I feel fine, I can help them," she reassured and then get back to the porch for higher ground and announced to the crowd, "Alright everybody, severe and young ones first, single file and be patient please." The group conversed around the miracle maker, any previous fears of them all gone as Utano took charge of the situation and overlooking the wounded.

"She really is incredible!" the spokesperson told Mr. Shiratori, "You must be very proud of her."

The father looked up to his daughter, a sense of calm flowing through him as he turns to his wife, who was smiling at thier daughter. Seeing her act like this with such confidence told them she be alright in her quest. Mito saw all this as well, the sight of Utano helping others was awe-inspiring, even far away the girl continues to bring out the best in others.

**Later that Night...**

Her head sways the moment she tries to lift herself up, the grief cube took it's time to set itself in with the warm tea beside Utano being the only thing keeping her focus and comforting her from this headache. The creaking of the wood outside with the crackle of the candlelight in her upstairs room were the only sounds as nightfall set itself in, a light rainfall coming to the village with the open window where that strange feline left now blowing in a soft, cold breeze with sprinkles of rain.

Utano didn't care as all she thought about was what will come next when that sun rises in a couple of hours, and what she'll say to those that she may never see again. She looks over to her magic clothes half packed in a bag with her new trusty whip right beside, gazing down at the bright yellow gem in hand she saw herself barely able to understand the power bestowed, almost scared of what this stuff is capable off. She chuckles to herself at the feeling; she never honestly had that feeling linger for this long, but seeing what else this power is capable of doing offered some encouragement to explore and use this new tool to help people.

"Even with such power, will it be enough?" she asks herself when her door slide open, her father entered carrying something wrapped up.

"Everything is about ready, your bag downstairs should have everything you need: Food, Cooking Materials, clothes from others your size and...are you alright?" Mr. Shiratori asked upon noticing his daughter's distant look.

Utano faintly smiled reassuringly, "I'm alright, thanks."

Her father sighed and sat beside her, looking down at the wrapped object, "If I could, I'd take your place Utano, I'd march as far west I can to complete this quest...but I'm too weak, too old...and because of that now you must face this danger alone. That scares your mother and me more than the world ending."

"I know...but that's why you and mom always been there for me, teaching me so many wonderful things and showing me what more could be out there. Even if I never wanted to say goodbye to this place and everyone here...I feel I have the courage to go because of you and all the people I love."

The father and daughter turned to one another, comforting smiles hiding both thier heartaches. "I'll carry that courage with me to the ends of the earth, dad."

"And I'll know that you'll stay the brave girl I knew and become a legend that'll be told a thousand years onward." The father hands her the clothed object, "Something to remember us by, and to remind you of the power of the meek."

Utano unwraps the object, upon seeing it felt something in her throat as the water sprinkles started to hit the tool she thought she lost. The refound and refurbished metal plowing tool that reminded Utano of her dream to greatness and the love her parents given her. She hugged the tool tightly as her father hugs her for the last time.

"We'll be thinking of you, always." he softly whispered as the rainfall outside died down, and the quiet night waited for a bright new morning.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mito fingers twirled the strands of her lengthy hair, staring at the empty floor with a blank look, alone in her room for the past several hours. Her parents have not uttered a single word to her; despite everything that has happened, they only paid attention to Utano and fattening themselves up from the new food and leisures rather than savoring them. There was nothing here for her, she's been stuck in this lonely hole for her whole life, and after hearing everything presented to her, she already made her choice. Mito crawls to a small drawer, opening up to pick up what's inside, it was in her parent's blatant disregard of people and thier surroundings that she was able to sneak this into her room.

Mito stared at the black wooden sheath, pulling out its blade as it glistened against the moonlight. Everything else was ready, she thought long and hard about this since she saw Utano help those people, any other choice seems impossible for her to make. This was her only option, and a path she's ready to take for a long time. She inhales to calm her mind and gazes outside her window, "I'm sorry, Utanon...please don't be mad," she whispers, her hand trembling slightly as she holds the blade up and grabs a fistful of her long hair.

* * *

The early morning grey sky still had a misty air to it as Utano looked on at her destroyed home, after clearing the pile of woods yesterday there was nothing left but an empty plot of dirt. She knows her parents said it'll be back soon enough, but it doesn't lessen this guilt inside her, but she pushes it aside and goes over to the small home to her favorite animal. Walking up to Ota, she fed her one last time with a fresh apple; its always been her favorite, and she's happy at least this was able to be her final gift. She hugged the horned friend, who stopped eating and nuzzled her human friend, giving Utano a kiss through a massive lick of her face, causing Utano to happily smile and laugh before saying goodbye.

She walked off as her parents walked her through the village, that main dirt road she walked up and down for years had now all residents lined up bowing to her with smiles of good luck on her journey. She kept up her bright smile as they reached the entrance and stood there were Mr. Hatano, Mr. Asano, and Mr. Sanjo with the supplies she needs.

Utano first walked up to Mr. Asano, who presented her with tools and a map of the road ahead his father gave before passing both bowed as she said, "Thank you for sharing those stories, your ancestors were great men there own right."

Asano wished her good luck as Utano went up to the largest but friendliest man she ever knew, handing her with all the food, clothes and other essentials for the coming quest, both bowed and shared a hug as she told him, "Thank you for being there for my family, Uncle Sanjo." He gave her a last pat on the head and tried not to tear up.

Utano went up to the old, skinny but hardworking Mr. Hatano who gave her all the currency the village can offer, the two stared at each other, never having the friendliest of conversations. Hatano was known for his pride but also highly respected those who deserve it, he bowed and told her, "Try not to waste it."

Utano nodded and took a deep breath as she walked through the entrance, making her first step on the stone road. Her mother and father stood by her but knew this was as far they can go, Utano turned to her parents one last time and jumped for a hug. The family of three savored this fleeting moment before reluctantly separating. Utano stumbled as she inched backward, struggling to keep it together as she turned her back on them. Looking down the lone road in front of her, taking it one step at a time. Soon it was tens steps, then twenty and then a hundred when she gave in and turned around to see her home gone.

Clinging onto her gem, it helped her in accepting this transition in her life and guide her to the end of this woodland area to a vast grassland with a wood signpost. Sitting on top of it was a familiar feline, "So, you made your decision?" he asked.

"Yeah, I not new to being on my own; I'll go on this journey for however long it takes." Utano declared to the spirit.

"I'm glad to hear that, maybe this whole plan might work after all, but we still got a long way." Cube said as she jumped off and walked ahead of the girl, "I'll scout out ahead and make sure you're clear, just follow the path and you'll be fine. See you soon!"

Utano smiled, went away as she was alone once again, thinking of the others only brining pain to her heart. The sun was hidden far in the horizon, only a sliver of light escaping, 'What does that say for me?' she ponders as her soul gem brightness dims, and she continues on her way.

"Utanon!"

She stopped and immediately recognized whose it voice was, turning in shock as she saw Mito spriting in travel garbs and carrying a bag of supplies with her aswell. Utano had to rub her eyes in disbelieve as Mito rushed into her with a big hug. "M-mii!? Wha-what are you-did you give yourself a hair cut?"

"Hehe, it's a little messy, but it's good enough look less suspicious."

"I think it looks really nice on-wait no, why are you here!? I thought my dad told you."

"He did, but after thinking long and hard about it, I found there were no options given that I will be happy or useful in. If I stayed at that village, I would just turn back into that aimless, lonely girl I've been for years...until you became my friend. That was when I realized that my path is where you are. I'm so sorry for going against your wish but being without you is even worse than death, please let me join you, and I'll try not to be a screwup!"

Utano watched as her best friend poured all her emotions to her, as every memory of them together were clouded by those monsters and whatever could be out there. "Mii, you're not a screwup, but this mission is far too dangerous for you or anyone else!"

"I'm not like anyone else though, that tree in the Jukai bestowed me a strange power similar to you, I may not be a fighter, but you help inspire me to explore and do far more, and this is it." she confessed as she grabbed Utano's hands, a move Utano herself was shocked seeing, "My dream is to be by your side Utanon, to the ends of the world if I have too. Besides, if I do die, I want it to be by your side, at least."

Feeling the warmth yet nervousness from both thier hands with that longing look in her friend's eyes, Utano wasn't afraid anymore. Witnessing her friend grow right before she invigorated Utano with a sense of reassurance, she almost laughed at herself for almost throwing away this bond most precious to both of them. "Let's make sure it doesn't come to that and teach these monsters a lesson." she said as she happily and proudly hugged Mito, her lingering concerns showing as she whispered, "I'll make sure we survive this coming storm...I promise."

"I know you will," Mito smiled as she pulled away and took something out her bag, "If it's going to be such a bad storm, then this might help protect you."

Handing her that straw hat they almost lost, Utano smile came back brighter than ever as she took it and confidently wore it and asked, "Do I look like an adventurer now?"

"Like a true hero," Mito cheerfully replied; the two took each other hands and walked down the stone road.

"Got something to keep busy?" Utano asked, "Two hundred miles sound like a long way."

"Well, a certain brave hero did give me a new book, looking to finish it once we get there." Mito lightheartedly joked, leaning her head on Utano shoulder, hoping moments like these could last forever.

_"The rising sun glowed brighter than ever before that fateful day, as I walked hand in hand with Mii, I longer felt alone or afraid of what is ahead. Silently thinking of home for many days afterward...for many days since."_


End file.
